Hurricane
by BananaPieThiefX
Summary: Takes place between COTBP and DMC. What happened while Commodore Norrington was hunting Jack Sparrow? How did he survive the hurricane? Why did he lose his commission? And why on earth did he turn pirate when he did? T to be safe.


**AN: **This is my first story in awhile! It feels good to be writing again, even if I am out of my usual fandom. Anyway, do enjoy the story, and I apologize for any OOC, especially on the part of the good Commodore.

**Disclaimer: **I do indeed own Jack Sparrow! At least... I own the poster and the computer with him as the current desktop background. *sigh*

* * *

For the first time in three months, Commodore James Norrington's men saw him smile. He stood at the helm of the HMS _Dauntless_, scanning once again the endless blue of the ocean. Three months. Three months now he had searched for Jack Sparrow.

_Captain Jack Sparrow- _Interjected the voice in his head. _Captain Sparrow, the bloody drunken pirate who outsmarted you and your men, _the voice continued. _Several times. _The commodore shook his head. It was true. The rascal had outsmarted him more times than he cared to mention, but James knew he was hardly the only victim. And, despite himself, he had grown somewhat fond of the rouge. But he was still a pirate. And pirates could meet only one end at the hands of His Majesty's Royal Navy.

_A short drop and a sudden stop, eh James? _said the voice. Yes, as he had told Elizabeth years ago, pirates would be hanged, just as the sun would rise and the waves splash against the ship.

"Commodore!" the shout had captured James' attention.

"Aye sailor?" he called, unable to distinguish the features of the lookout from the distance.

"Ship's spotted off t' starboard bow, sir! She's got black sails!" Commodore James Norrington turned his head to face the location indicated by the lookout. He could just make out a snatch of black on the horizon. Sparrow. He thought he could run. Thought he could fly away like his namesake, too quick to be caught. James smiled grimly at the anticipation of being the one to finally take down the infamous pirate.

_Aye, Sparrows can fly, but they're no match for the Royal Navy! Pity, though, that he'll have to hang. He's a good pirate. Might've been a good man too, under different circumstances. _ James banished the voice. There could be no doubts or questions now. Yes, Sparrow was a good pirate, and maybe, _maybe_ he could have been a good man. But it was a man's choices that defined him, and James must make his.

"Full Sail! Run out the guns! We're coming up fast on Sparrow's ship! Take her if you can, sink her only if you must!" James knew it would be foolish to directly surrender what could very well be the fastest ship in the Caribbean.

"Full Sail! Run out the guns!" repeated his first mate to the crew.

_Bloody Naval procedure, as if t' crew didn't hear yer orders the first time, mate._ That voice, the voice in his head that always seemed to be dissatisfied, that always struggled against the right. It was hauntingly familiar to him. A voice he could not place, but knew from some long off adventure.

_It'll come eventually, mate. Imagine the shock when ye find out 'ose in yer head, Commodore! _The voice seemed to laugh as it said this. If there were a person attached to it, there would be a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eye to accompany it, James fancied.

"Kindly refrain from interrupting my thoughts," he commanded the voice. It obeyed, much to James' relief. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He smiled again.

"What, may I ask, Captain, has so improved your mood?" James turned to him, his grin growing wider.

"Because, lieutenant, we're catching up."

The blue waters had been hypnotizing to him as he thought about the events leading up to the re-acquisition of his beloved Pearl. Jack would never admit it, but he missed Will and Elizabeth, his companions on the journey. Hell, he was even beginning to miss Jack the monkey, the governor, and the damned Commodore Norrington.

"Cap'n!" called Gibbs, "it's the Commodore! He's found us!"

Ah, speak of the devil. "I didn't miss him _that_ bloody much," Jack muttered darkly, turning to assess the situation.

"Cap'n?" inquired Gibbs.

"Nothing," said Jack. "Absolutely nothing." He saw Gibbs shrug in acceptance and nodded once. "Right then, Mr. Gibbs, order the crew to run out the guns and prepare for battle."

"Er, Cap'n, shouldn't we be tryin' to, _outrun_ the Commodore? Y'know, make ourselves scarce, like?" Gibbs asked nervously.

"Mister Gibbs? Are you suggesting that by asserting my leadership to lead us into battle I am leading you in an incorrect and un-leadable direction in which you should not be led? Or, are you perhaps wondering why I should choose to lead you in such ad un-leadable direction by using my leadership to lead you into battle into which you believe you and the crew should not be led?" Jack stared at his sufficiently confused first mate, waiting for him to attempt to puzzle out one of his infamous speeches. Again.

Gibbs blinked twice. "You know best Cap'n," he sighed. "Run out the cannons! Prepare for battle! The _Dauntless_ be gainin' fast upon us! Load the cannons and prepare to fire!"

"Belay that!" shouted Jack. The crew looked confused, which was just the way Jack liked it. The less they understood, the less they had to complain and argue about. And so what if he came off a bit daft? There were worse things people could think of him.

"_You are without a doubt the _worst_ pirate I ever heard of."_ Like that. Jack smiled, recalling the Commodore's pompous manner and his premature assessment of his own character. If he, Captain Jack Sparrow, was the worst pirate James had ever met, Jack had finally found reason to be jealous of a 'true gentleman'. Not often did one meet a better pirate than he. Of course, he had been out-pirated before, but he always turned things in his favor, in the end. Even if it took him lots of planning, a young whelp to spring him from jail and ten years of biding his time. Jack turned to see the crew still staring expectantly, waiting for further orders. He came back to the present and stared sternly at his crew.

"Don't be daft! Load the bloody cannons! But don't yet fire upon the Commodore, lest ye have a death wish. We're not going to fight him if we can 'elp it."

"Which brings us back to running?" suggested Gibbs hopefully.

"'Course not, Mister Gibbs!" Jack exclaimed. "We 'avent seen the Commodore for a long while. I intend to invite him over for tea; I'm told gentlemen enjoy that sort of thing."

"And _then _we make our escape?" an exasperated Anamaria asked.

"Aye, love. After I'm informed with information of the informatory doings of certain inhabitants of Port Royal who were once of informatory use to me."

Anamaria laughed. "Ye know Captain, if ye want to talk to the Commodore about Turner and Elizabeth, you could just say so outright."

"I know that. Don't think for a moment that I don't!" Jack protested. Damn! That woman knew everything about him. _Which is why ye love her so much, Jacky_, the pirate thought. _If she didn't know you so well, 'ow could you ever know that someone understood you when you talked? She's perfect for you, Sparrow. _Jack retreated into his mind to tell his thoughts to bugger off. It would never work between him and Anamaria. She just didn't feel the same way. Not that it mattered. Jack had promised himself that he wouldn't get attached to another human being. Not after his Mum and Bill Turner had gone and disappointed him by dying. Then of course, there was the mutiny to consider. So many people he had thought to be his mates had turned on him that day. And Hector! Hector Barbossa, his friend from childhood had led them. Long story short, he was not a people person. And that's why Anamaria would be better off with someone else. But still he was attached to her. And Turner too. Especially Turner. Bloody whelp had become like a brother to him. And then there was Elizabeth, or Miss Swann, or Mrs. Turner or whatever the hell she called herself now. But first and foremost in his mind was Anamaria. She was worth breaking the vow of being unattached to others, if only he could be sure that she loved him.

"Jack!" he heard her voice. It was clear in his mind. Harsh, but at the same time sweet and… "JACK!" Jack looked up sharply. The rest of the crew had gone to obey his orders, but Anamaria still stood by his side. "Jack, I hope ye have a plan for when the time comes."

"Time for wot?" asked Jack, still half in his mind.

"Time to run? From the Commodore?" Jack stared at her blankly. Her skin, her hair, her eyes were all dark, but at the same time bright. It amazed him. "Sparrow! Commodore Norrington's ship is nearly upon us, remember! Do you have a plan?"

"Oh, that plan! Of course I have a plan! I'm _Captain Jack Sparrow_, love. And don't you forget it!" Jack didn't yet have a plan for leaving the Commodore behind. But no matter, it would come to him. He was Jack Sparrow, after all.

"How could I forget that?" sighed Anamaria wryly. Jack grinned at her and moved a bit closer.

"I don't know, love."

She smirked. "So you've forgotten how the fact could be forgotten?" Jack opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Gibb's untimely entrance.

"Cap'n, they've caught us!" he proclaimed. Jack tried to control his impulse to glare at and smack his first mate. After all, he was only doing his job.

"Good. 'bout time the old Commodore and I had a chat."

"Just come out of it alive, Jack," muttered Anamaria.

"Of course, Ana. Wouldn't nearly as much fun otherwise," he huffed. The lack of confidence bothered him, but of course, they were right. It was mad for the most notorious pirate in the Caribbean to have the Commodore of the Navy over to his ship for tea. Or, in his case, rum. But still, he was curious about how the lad, Turner, was getting on, and very curious about Elizabeth as well. He looked out over the small gap of water that now separated the two contrasting ships. He saw Norrington standing nobly at the helm of the ship. Jack nodded once, decisively, and called across to the other ship.

This was it. This was his moment. James could not have been more excited as he approached the _Pearl_. "Take Sparrow alive, if you can," ordered James. "We shall try to seize the ship peacefully at first, but if it should come down to a fight, make sure we are properly prepared." His men nodded. "Oh, and one more thing. If these pirates should be cursed like the last, do not wait for orders. Return immediately to the _Dauntless,_ is that clear? I won't have lives wasted unnecessarily." Again, his men nodded silently.

_Seize the ship peacefully, Commodore? Wiv Sparrow aboard? Good luck with that mate. On the other hand, being a pirate, I bet he has a good store of rum if ye manage not to sink it._ That damned voice was back! He ignored it and studied the _Pearl_. He pulled a spyglass from his coat and peered at the ship. As they drew closer, he could tell that the ship was not going as fast as she could be, nor did her crew appear to be preparing to fight.

_Perhaps 'e wants to invite you over for tea Jamesy? _Suggested the voice. No, James thought, there was more to it than that. Why in God's name would Sparrow present such an easy target. He would consider it a decoy, if not for his knowledge of how beloved the ship was to Sparrow, and the fact that he could see the colorfully garbed pirate conversing with a female sailor. A man whom James recognized Joshamee Gibbs, a former sailor of the Royal Navy, appeared at Sparrow's side and gestured in his direction. The pirate looked strangely relaxed and didn't even glance in his direction. He nodded a few times, then turned to face the _Dauntless_. When he grinned, James could see the reflection of the sun off the man's gold teeth through his spyglass.

"Ahoy Commodore! Why not come and join us a bit aboard my ship, aye? We can catch up over a pot o' tea! So long as you leave most of your less than pleasant guards and confining metal objects behind," the voice of _Captain_ Jack Sparrow echoed across the water.

_Bloody hell! It is a tea party! The man must be mad!_ For once, James found he could agree with the crazy side of his mind.

"Mr. Sparrow, do you intend to question my intelligence by assuming I can be lured aboard your ship by the promise of tea, and likely be kidnapped or killed?" scoffed James "You are, after all, a pirate."

"Mr. Commodore, do _you_ intend to question _my_ intelligence by assuming I would kidnap a _Commodore_?" exclaimed the smirking pirate, mocking James.

"Not your intelligence, Sparrow. Merely your sanity."

"So word's gotten around that I'm mad, has it? Very well then, bring a few of your pompous little lads aboard. The more the merrier, I say. But I do intend to talk wiv ye, commodore, if that's acceptable."

James, puzzled by Sparrows behavior called five of his best men over. "I intend to negotiate with Sparrow. Will you accompany me aboard his ship the _Black Pearl_?" he asked.

"Are you sure, Commodore, that it is wise to trust Sparrow?" asked his puzzled first mate.

"Yes, I believe Sparrow is in earnest in his request. He shall not harm us as long as we remain aboard his ship," observed James. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. The men nodded. Perhaps they did trust him, thought James, or perhaps they were simply curious about this Sparrow. James had to admit, that he too was curious about Sparrow's intentions. Either way, he would be glad to have their company when handling the infamous pirate in all his eccentricities.

"Then it shall be an honor to accompany you Captain... Commodore… sir," piped the youngest, an eager and able lad of sixteen.

"Very well then," he said. "MEN! Prepare to board!" he shouted. The plank was stretched from the naval vessel to the sleek pirate craft alongside it. James mounted the plank, having no idea what he was getting into. He wasn't walking to his death, no. Jack Sparrow would keep his word. But there was still a small disconcertion James couldn't put his finger on. Perhaps, it was the notion in his head that he would walk away from this encounter with the pirate in chains. Sighing, James realized it would never be that easy.

'_Course not, mate. We pirates are a tough breed y' know._ James started, suddenly recognizing the voice in his head. James now seemed to have an 'inner pirate'. An inner pirate with the voice of that eternally damned _Captain _Jack Sparrow. And when that same voice, coming from the man in front of him, welcomed him onto the _Black Pearl_, and sounded like that of an old friend, James knew that he was in a lot of trouble. After all, one could not be a pirate and a good man. Which means he absolutely could not like Jack Sparrow. No matter how much he wanted to.

* * *

**AN: **But of course there will be more to come! I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with the hurricane mentioned in the second movie. You'll simply have to be patient! 


End file.
